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No visit to the Union of Myanmar is complete without a visit to the 2,500 years old Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics. Located west of the Royal Lake on 114 -acre Singuttara Hill in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the people of the Union of Myanmar. From a humble beginning of 8.2 meters, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters. Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds; the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

The main stupa of Shwedagon A “beautiful winking wonder that blazed in the sun” is how Rudyard Kipling once described it.

“At last we reached the great terrace. All about, shrines and pagodas were jumbled pell-mell with the confusion with which trees grow in the jungle. They had been built without design or symmetry, but in the darkness, their gold and marble faintly gleaming, they had a fantastic richness. And then, emerging from among them like a great ship surrounded by lighters, rose dim, severe and splendid, the Shwe Dagon.”

- W. Somerset Maugham, The Gentleman in the Parlour (1930)

Naungdawgyi (Elder Brother) Pagoda . According to legend, the pagoda was built on a site where Eight Sacred Hair of Gautama Buddha was first placed on their arrival.

Mahabodhi-style temple

This is the replica of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, which is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. Mahabodhi Temple at Shwedagon takes only the general architectural structure of the original temple in India, and the details were varied greatly. The temple was built Dagon Khin Khin Lay, who was a famous Myanmar writer in early 20th century. She started her literary career in 1917 when, at the age of 13, she wrote a price winning short story.

the Strand Market Two Pice Hall

To the east of the Maha Bodhi Temple is the Strand Market Two Pice Hall. It was named Two Pice Hall because, like the western stairway entrance hall, it was built in 1914 with the daily donation of two pices (1/32 of a rupee) by the shopkeepers from the old Strand Market in Rangoon.

The bell of king Tharrawaddy

Near the Naungdawgyi Pagoda is the King Tharwaddy's Bell. Officially known as Mahatisaddaghanta Bell, this bell was the donation of King Tharwaddy of Ava (1838 - 1846) after his visit to Rangoon in 1841-1842. The bell was cast on 19 February 184 and bears the Pali name Mahatisaddaghanta, "Great Bell of Three Sounds". It is the second largest bell in Myanmar (the first being the Mingun Bell near Mandalay). It weighs 42 tons and 14 feet 3 inches in height, 7 feet 2 inches in width at the mouth and 15 inches in thickness. The bell has an inscription of 100 lines in Burmese and Pali. This inscription is the longest bell inscription in Myanmar.

Then King Banya U (AD 1353-1385) and his descendents reconstructed and enlarged Shwedagon Pagoda and raised it still higher. Queen Shin Saw Pu, the grand daughter of Banya U, had the pagoda enlarged and raised. She was the first Queen who donated and gilded the pagoda with gold equal to her weight.

Eastern stairway

hall of Great Prosperity

Since 1852, Shwedagon was under British military control, but Burmese were still allowed to visit the pagoda. In 1871, King Mindon of Mandalay sent a new diamond studded hti (umbrella) to be installed at the top of Shwedagon. The delighted Burmese celebrated with a festive procession, with more than 100,000 people coming to greet and pay homage the new hti

A very common roofing style in Burmese architecture is called pyatthat, which is a multi-tiered and spired roof.

Temple architecture is typically of brick and stucco, and pagodas are often covered with layers of gold leaf while monasteries tend to be built of wood (although monasteries in cities are more likely to be built of modern materials).

The temple has entrances on all four sides but the eastern entrance is the main one

There are three levels of terraces in Shwedagon Pagoda. The platform most foreign visitors usually visit is the main terrace, or the middle level.

This is the most visited level in Shwedagon pagoda. Most religious buildings such as shrines, stupas, Buddha images, pavilions, buildings and bells are built in this level. Visitors and worshipers pay homage to Lord Buddha and offer flower, water, incense and candle light to the pagoda at this level.

The terrace was built during the 15thcentury by Mon kings after leveling the top of the Singuttara Hill.

The terrace is 275 meters from north to south and 215meters from east to west. The area of this terrace is 5.6 hectares (14 acres). The whole terrace is inlaid with marble slabs.

Burmese and Thai Monk leave Shwedagon Pagoda

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu & Internet

Copyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound Hlaing Win Maung - From the bottom of my heart